From the Influencers

This Month’s Key Quotes from Leaders in Cybersecurity

“President Trump’s actions have placed American businesses at increased risk for retaliatory and destructive cyberattacks by the Islamic Republic. We assess that within months, if not sooner, American companies in the financial, critical infrastructure, oil, and energy sectors will likely face aggressive and destructive cyberattacks by Iranian state-sponsored actors.”

Priscilla Moriuchi, Director of Strategic Threat Development at Recorded Future, warns of a cyberattack-led retaliation from Iran in response the US’ decision to cancel the landmark nuclear deal

“The irony won’t be lost on anyone that cybercriminals are exploiting the arrival of new data protection regulations to steal people’s data. Using current events and trends as bait for social engineering attacks is a common tactic.

“Scammers know that people are expecting exactly these kinds of emails this month and that they are required to take action, whether that’s clicking a link or divulging personal data. It’s a textbook phishing campaign in terms of opportunistic timing and having a believable call to action.”

Mark Nicholls, Director of Cyber Security at Redscan, on the company’s discovery of a new phishing scam that sees attackers pose as major brands under the guise of complying with the incoming GDPR

“The irony won’t be lost on anyone that cybercriminals are exploiting the arrival of new data protection regulations to steal people’s data. Using current events and trends as bait for social engineering attacks is a common tactic.

“Scammers know that people are expecting exactly these kinds of emails this month and that they are required to take action, whether that’s clicking a link or divulging personal data. It’s a textbook phishing campaign in terms of opportunistic timing and having a believable call to action.”

Mark Nicholls, Director of Cyber Security at Redscan, on the company’s discovery of a new phishing scam that sees attackers pose as major brands under the guise of complying with the incoming GDPR

“As far as I know, this is the first time that the Algerian government is talking to the British government about cybersecurity. I think the university’s invitation to Algeria underlines the knowledge and insight the UK possesses about national cybersecurity, which is not equalled anywhere in Europe.”

Professor Kamal Bechkoum, Head of the School of Business and Technology at the University of Gloucestershire, on the university’s invitation to Algeria to advise the government on cybersecurity

“You’re not just merging bank accounts and people – you’re also bringing hundreds, possibly thousands, of new devices onto the network. New devices all have the potential to bring new cyber risks to your business, and that’s before you’ve looked into other aspects like legacy systems, servers, industry–specific technologies like POS terminals or ATMs, and drastically different IT policies over the years.”

Justin Coker, Vice President at EMEA Skybox Security, warns of the issues surrounding effective cybersecurity in the wake of a company merger